How to choose a Right to Choose ADHD provider

What makes a provider eligible

Under Right to Choose, you can be referred to any provider that holds an NHS contract to deliver the service you need, in this case an adult ADHD assessment. The contract is what makes the assessment NHS-funded and free to you. A clinic being private, well known or highly rated doesn't on its own make it a Right to Choose provider.

Right to Choose applies to patients registered with a GP in England, for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant-led team. It doesn't apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Our main Right to Choose guide covers eligibility in full.

What to compare

Once you have a shortlist, compare providers on the things that affect your experience most:

• Current waiting time. Right to Choose waits vary widely and change over time. Ask for the current wait from referral to assessment, and from assessment to report.
• Who they assess. Some providers only see adults, some only children, and some have separate waiting lists for each.
• What's included. Is it assessment only, or does the NHS contract also cover medication titration and follow-up?
• Shared care. After titration, most providers ask your GP to take over prescribing. Ask how they handle this and what happens if your GP declines.
• Format. Video, phone or in person, and whether evening or weekend appointments are available.
• Who carries out the assessment. A psychiatrist or another appropriately qualified clinician, following NICE guideline NG87.
• Communication. How they keep you updated while you wait, and how quickly they reply to questions.

Questions to ask a provider

1. Do you hold an NHS contract for adult ADHD assessments, and can I be referred from my GP practice?
2. What is your current wait from referral to assessment?
3. Does your contract include medication titration, and is there a separate wait for it?
4. What do you need from my GP to accept the referral?
5. Will anything cost me money, and if so, what?
6. What happens if my GP won't agree to shared care?

Keep the answers in writing. They're useful if your GP has questions, and if anything changes later.

Getting your GP to refer

Once you've chosen, book a GP appointment and explain that you'd like to be referred for an adult ADHD assessment under Right to Choose, naming the provider. Bring the provider's details and any referral form they use. Our Right to Choose guide includes a letter template you can adapt.

Your GP should refer you if they agree an assessment is clinically appropriate. If they're unsure about Right to Choose, the provider can often help by explaining the process directly to the practice.

Red flags

• Being asked to pay for an assessment that's meant to be NHS-funded, without a clear explanation
• No clear answer about whether they hold an NHS contract
• No information about who carries out assessments or their qualifications
• Promises of a diagnosis before you've been assessed

If Right to Choose stalls

Sometimes the process slows down: a GP practice that's unfamiliar with Right to Choose, a provider with a long waiting list, or a local policy change. If that happens, you can:

• Ask your practice manager to explain the practice's Right to Choose process in writing
• Contact your local Integrated Care Board (ICB) or NHS England for advice
• Choose a different provider with a shorter wait
• Consider a private assessment, which you pay for but can usually book without a GP referral

Common questions